Armored cable connector



Dec. 6, 1949 s. N. BUCHANAN ARMORED CABLE CONNECTOR 2 Shee ts-Sheet 1 Filed June 18, 1946 INVENTOR JVBachanan Sfeph en ATTOR Dec. 6, 1949 s. N. BUCHANAN 2,490,253

ARMORED CABLE CONNECTOR Filed June 18, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 m 4 2 8 9 lzle 2 MHZ M INVENTOR Stephan M Buchanan 2/ Patented Dec. 6, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ARMORED CABLE CONNECTOR Stephen N. Buchanan, Westmoreland Hills, Md.,

assignor to Buchanan Electrical Products Corporation, a corporation of New Jersey Application June 18, 1946, Serial No. 677,630

6 Claims. 1

This invention relates to connectors for electric cables.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide an improvement whereby insulated electric wires or strands as, for example, in the form of armored cable may be quickly mounted in an outlet box by insertion through a hole therein and then maintained in a locked but nevertheless readily demountable position.

Another object is to provide a device of the character described which is not only capable of ease and speed oiuse but is also economical to manufacture.

Other objects and advantages will hereinafter appear from the description taken in conjunction with the appended drawings in which Fig. l is a perspective View showing an armored cable mounted in an outlet box by means of a connector embodying the invention,

Fig. 2 is an exploded view of the parts shown in Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a view looking in the direction of the arrow indicated in Fig. 1,

Fig. 4 shows a section on line 44 of Fig. 3,

Fig. 5 is a view looking in the direction of the arrow indicated in Fig. 4, and

Fig. 6 is a sectional view on line 6-6 of Fig. 4.

The connector comprises two essential parts a body portion indicated generally as I and a operating locking element or saddle portion in-' dicated generally as 20. The body portion 1 (note Fig. 2, for example) is generally somewhat cylindrical in shape and has an annular shoulder portion 2 which may terminate in spaced-apart edges 3. It also has a cut-away portion or flared parts 9 to receive corresponding parts of the locking element or saddle portion 20. The body portion I also has laterally extending ears 6 provided with threaded holes I, these ears and threaded holes being in registry, respectively, with corresponding cars 25 and slots 30 in the locking member or saddle element 20. The body portion I is provided with a bottom tang 4 for engagement with the edges I2 of a hole in an annular box I I; and side tangs which act as stops for bushing 31 inserted in the annular space between the cables 34 and the armor 35.

Resilient means as, for example, split ring 8 is provided to resiliently secure together the body portion 1 and the locking member 20, the split ring e being mounted in the annular groove between the annular shoulder portion 2 and the tangs 4 and 5.

The locking element 20 includes a tongue portion 2| which is concavely formed to mate with the convexly shaped annular shoulder 2 and to ride and pivot thereon. A reversely curved lug or lip 22 extends from the tongue 2| to engage an edge 20 of the annular box II. Engagement of the lug 22 of the locking element 20 and the bottom tang 4 of the body portion with edge portions I2 of a hole in outlet box I l is clearly shown (note, for example, Figs. 3 and 4). The milled surface or part 23 lying between the concave tongue portion 2| and the lip 22 serves to enhance the locking action. Fig. 6 shows a detail. of the milled part 23. The locking action is still further enhanced by a detent 2B in the locking element 20, this detent 26 engaging the armor of the cable in a groove or annular space 36 between adjacent convolutions of the armor.

The connector is readily assembled for use by mounting the locking element 20 on the body portion I which is done by inserting the lug 22 and tongue 2| under the resilient ring 8 and at a point or position on the body portion I opposite the tang 4 and bridging the space between edges 3 (note Fig. 3). Bolts 21 with scarfed heads 28 and nuts 29 are received in the slots 30 and threaded holes "I, respectively, and the device thus very simply assembled is ready for sale and use.

As Well known to those skilled in the art, an armored cable, which is one of the cables which may readily mounted by means of the present invention, is customarily provided with an insulating bushing 31 inserted between the cables and the armor. In using the device, the connector is inserted into a knock-out hole in an outlet or terminal box I! with the bushing 31 engaging the steps or lugs 5, the tang 5 engaging an edge of a knock-out hole and the milled surface of the locking element 20 engaging another and opposite edge of said hole. The tongue 25, it will be seen, acts as a lever or saddle freely fulcrumed and riding upon the annular shoulder portion 2 of the body member I. The tongue 2i and lug 22 may be depressed to facilitate insertion of the connector through the knock-out hole with the edges I2 of the wall H I of the knockout box engaging the connector parts as clearly illustrated in Fig. 4, for example. The armored cable with the exposed strands 34 thereof and bushing 3? inserted between those strands 3-2 and the armor 35 is then inserted in the connector with the strands fad extending into the interior of the knock-out box and the bushing 3i engaging the side tangs or lugs 5 which act as stops. The nuts 29 on the bolts 2? may then be tightened, thus locking the armored cable in the connector with the detent 26 in releasably locked engagement with the grooves between the convolutions of the armor. At the same time the tongue 2| and lug 22 of the saddle or locking element 26 became jammed into releasable locking engagement with the adjacent edge l2 of the wall ll of the knock-out box and the bottom tang 4 is also jammed into releasable locking engagement with the adjacent edge I2 of the same wall I l.

The whole operation is very easily and quickly performed, nevertheless the cable is very firmly mounted in looking engagement with the wall'of the knock-out box. The locking engagement is, however, releasable; and the connector and cable may be demounted or disengaged by loosening the nuts 29, depressing the tongue 2| and lug 22 and withdrawing the connector and cable;

The preceding description is given in detail with the understanding that numerous variations may be made within the scope of the princi- 'ples of the invention to be defined in the claims.

What is claimed is:

'1. A'cable connector of the character described adapted for releasable locking engagement with a cable and a wall of an outlet box comprising a body portion having an annular convex shoul- "der and a separate locking tongue element, having 'aconcave portion pivoted on said annular convex shoulder, each of said body and saddle elements having at one end thereof edge gripping parts including a lug adapted to grip edges of a knock-out hole of an outlet box; said body portion and tongue element having complementary receiving and clamping portions at the other end thereof to receive and releasably clamp a cable therebetween; the tongue element being fr'eely fulcrumed on the body portion "at a position intermediate between the ends of the tongue portion and means to force the clamping portion of the tongue element into locking engagement with the cable and with corres onding complementary portions of the body portion and to thereby lock said cable within said connector,

whereby the edge gripping portions of the tongue 7 element and body portion are releasably locked into engagement with edges of said knock-out hole.

2. A cable connector of the character described "adapted for releasable locking engagement with a cable and a wall of an outlet box comprising a body portion having an annular convex shoulder and a separate locking tongue element having a concave portion pivoted on said convex shoulder, each of said body and tongue elements having at one end thereof edge gripping parts including a lug adapted to grip edges of a knock-out hole of an outlet box; said body portion and tongue element having complementary receiving and clamping portions at the other end thereof to receive and releasably clamp a cable therebetween; the tongue element being freely fulcrumed on the body portion at a position intermediate between the ends of the tongue portion and means including a pair of lateral flanges on each of said body portion and tongue element to force the clamping portion of the tongue element into locked engagement with the cable and with corresponding complementary portions of the body portion and to thereby lock said cable within said connector, whereby the edge gripping portions of the tongue element and body portion are releasably locked into engagement with edges of said knock-out hole.

3. A cable connector of the character described adapted for releasable locking engagement with an armored cable and a wall of an outlet box comprising a body portion having an annular convex shoulder portion, and a separate locking tongue element having a concave curved portion mating with and normally freely pivoted on said convex shoulder portion, and an annular resilient ring member normally maintaining said pivotal relation, each of said body and tongue elements having at one end thereof edge gripping parts including a lug adapted to grip edges of a knock-out hole of an outlet box; said body portion and saddle element having complementary receiving and clamping portions at the other end thereof including a cut-away part of the body portion and a flared part on the saddle element to receive and releasably clamp a cable therebetween; the tongue element being freely fulcrumed on the body portion at a position intermediate between the ends of the saddle portion; and means including a pair ofbolt carrying flanges on each of said body portion and saddle element to force thefclam'ping portion of the saddle element into locked engagement with'the cableand with corresponding 60mple'mehtary portions of the body portion and to thereby lock said cable within said connector, whereby the edge gripping portions of the tolliglle element and body portion are releasably locked intoengageme'ntwith edges of said knockout hole.

4. A cable connector adaptdfor releasable engagement with a cable and a "wall of an outletbox comprising a body portion and a locking tongue element shaped and adapted to rock longitudinally on said body portion, the body portionhaving a generally cylindrical portion to receive a "cable and also having an annular convexlyshaped shoulder, the tongue element being 'reversei curved to provide oneportion mating with thefannular shoulder on 'the body portion and thus adapted to pivot thereon, and another lip portion to engage an edge of the outlet box, s-aidbody portion having lateral wall portions 'spacedapart to receive said tongue and permit freedom of longitudinal movement thereof, each of said bodyand tongue portions having means includinglaterafly extending flanges to permit locking and unlocking action of connector in relation to a cable and outlet box.

5. A cable connector adapted for releasable engagement with a cable and a wall of an outlet box comprising a body'port ion and a locking tongue element shaped and adapted to rock longitudinally on said body portion, the body portion havih'g a generally cylindrical portion to reeves/e a cable and also having an annular convxly shaped shoulder, the tongue element being rever'sely curved to provide one portion mating with theannular shoulder Oh the body porti n anutrrus adapted to pivot thereonand another lip portion to engage an edge of the outlet box, said body portion having lateral wall portions spaced apart to receive said tongue and permit "freedom of iongitud'inal movement thereof, said body portion having a plurality of lugs extending radially -Inwardiy at one end thereof to act as stops "and'a'liig extending radially outward at apo"sition diametrically opposite the lip on the tongue, 'eahbf said body and tongue portions having means including laterally extending flanges to permitl'ocking "and unlocking action of connector in remtien to a cable and outlet box with saidllp the tongue and outwardly extending lug on'thebody portion engaging side wall edges of the outlet box when the connector is secured to said box. p

6. A cable connector adapted for releasable en- '75 gagm'entwith a cable and a wall of an outlet box comprising a body portion and a locking tongue element shaped and adapted to rock longitudinally on said body portion, the body portion having a generally cylindrical portion to receive a cable and also having an annular convexly shaped shoulder, the tongue element being reversely curved to provide one portion mating with the annular shoulder on the body portion and thus adapted to pivot thereon and another lip portion to engage an edge of the outlet box, said body portion having lateral Wall portions spaced apart to receive said tongue and permit freedom of longitudinal movement thereof, said body portion having a plurality of lugs extending radially inwardly at one end thereof to act as stops and a lug eXtending radially outward at a position diametrically opposite the lip on the tongue each of said body and tongue portions having means including laterally extending flanges to permit locking and unlocking action of connector in re- REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 899,906 Bitter Sept. 29, 1908 1,885,228 Buchanan Nov. 1, 1932 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 273,295 Great Britain June 21, 1927 

